Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is tough to get right, but the rewards of a great SEO campaign can add tremendous value to your business’ bottom line.  We’ve worked with businesses across many different industries and below are the most common mistakes we find preventing a successful SEO campaign.

Top 7 SEO Mistakes

1. Lack of a mobile friendly / responsive website – Google indexes the mobile version of a business’ website and uses that when determining where it ranks in related search results. Read more at Google, Mobile-first Indexing.
2. Weak On-page SEO – Each page should have a specific purpose. Your core products and services should have dedicated pages that follow the on-page SEO best practices. This includes well designed URL’s, optimized images, appropriate use of headers and a strong call to action.
3. Lazy keyword research – Search engines are still dependent on keyword searches. Therefore, we need to identify the keywords that your prospects use. For example, if you are a company that specializes in terminate treatments, focusing on the keyword “termite inspection” is far superior to focusing on the keyword “termites”.   The former indicates an immediate need while the latter keyword is just an informational search.
4. Not verifying your business with Google – Google’s local SEO strategy is centered around Google My Business listings. It is the verified business listings that show up in the local 3 pack.
5. The desire for instant gratification – It takes time for SEO strategies to build momentum. Great SEO requires a strong long-term strategy. SEO is something that is dynamic and requires constant effort.
6. Competitors have a superior SEO Strategy – Analyzing and understanding what your competitors are doing is a critical element to developing a strong long-term strategy. SEMrush has a useful tool for helping companies analyze their current SEO strategy as well as competitor strategies.
7. SPAMMY backlinks – Links have a significant influence on how a site ranks in search results. If someone reaches out claiming they can get your business to the top of Google for $150, it really is too good to be true.

Bonus SEO Tip

Poor reputation management – If someone is searching for your service and they see that it has 2 stars on its Google My Business listing, are they going to contact you or a competitor that has a better rating?  Managing your business’ reputation has a direct, positive and negative, impact on lead generation, conversion, and retention.

If this seems a bit daunting, WSI Connect is here to help.  We provide a free consultation to help businesses better understand how well they are currently doing and what it will take to leverage SEO for growth.